Carrie

How does Sue’s character arc explore the concepts of atonement and redemption, and how does it impact the novel’s overall meaning?

Citing specific verses, analyze how Margaret’s fundamentalist interpretation of the Bible informs Carrie’s actions and the theme of How Zealotry Begets Violence.

Chart the path of Carrie’s rage after the assault in the locker room. Were there points where the novel’s outcome was avoidable, or is Carrie on the path to mass murder right from the very start? Defend your argument with evidence from the text.

King includes several different “documentary” sources throughout the novel, but all are incomplete. How do the fragmented epistolary sections affect our understanding of the overall narrative?

What elements of the novel make Carrie’s story allegorical, and what elements lend it realism? How does this duality serve the novel’s meaning?

Carrie’s responses to her peers display a deep suspicion that often borders on paranoia. What does the novel imply about the sources of this paranoia? Does it ever affect the reliability of the narrative?

A case can be made for either Margaret or Chris as the novel’s main antagonist. State who you think played the larger part in shaping Carrie’s rage, giving examples from the text.

Carrie is indisputably a horror story, but it can also be considered a coming-of-age story. Compare and contrast Carrie and Sue’s experiences of Coming-of-Age as Liberation.